Systems and People!

"Systems run the business and people run the systems."

And absolutely every frustration you experience in your business has a solution.  "Every frustration?" you ask. "But my frustration isn't about systems. I just can't find good people."

Yet good people are everywhere.  Some may even be working for you right now, and although they're good, maybe they're not good at what you're asking them to do.  There could be several possible reasons for that frustration:

They're good people who don't have the minimum required skills to do what you're asking them to do.  Whose fault is that?  Begin by discovering where their skills could be applied – this is called Employee Development.

They may have the skills required to do the work, they don't know how that work is to be done.  They don't know what "done" looks like – people don’t posses the innate skill of “ability to read an others mind".

I suggest that's not their fault. It's yours and your managers.  Even with fact that you have told them ‘What is to be done, and even how to do it’ is not enough.  How often and in what manner have you “Told them”?  What systems do you have in place to reinforce and remind them, and to make it possible for them to train someone else on what you want and how to do it?

When you look to systems to run your business, your thinking has to become systemic.  You don't get results by blaming people. You only get intimidated people.  So before you call in that employee for a little talk, make sure you have a system in place that makes it possible for them to successfully understand and achieve the result you're seeking.

A third reason you may not be finding good people may lie in your recruiting and hiring system.

What is your recruiting and hiring system?

Is it simply a sign that says "Help Wanted" or "Now Hiring"? If so, then you're getting exactly who you deserve, although probably not who you want.

Like your good employee who doesn't know what “done” looks like, your job applicants haven't a clue from your recruiting system what "help" looks like either!  Give them a system that describes what you're looking for, and an opportunity to demonstrate in advance that they have the minimum required skills to make you happy.

A recent client adopted this approach, after 4 months of advertising and interviewing, the only achievement was the delivery of a high level of frustration and hours of lost productive time and no hire.  Here is a summary of the example of the recruiting system implemented into their growing portal solutions development business:

The ad read:

"In need of a Business Development person to help the CEO move the business forward in these tight times.  No related experience necessary. Must enjoy talking and meeting people, documenting deliverables, following written procedures and have a passion for organization.  Please include with your reply a presentation on selling YOU as a product or service."

The CEO received dozens of responses, and considered only those that completely complied with his written instructions.  One stood out. The individual sent a PowerPoint presentation entitled "Action Plan for Hiring the Best Fit", describing "Definitions”, a roadmap with milestones achieved, lessons learned, the system and information on ‘How too’ hire the individual, and finally, examples of non tangible qualities of the individual.  The individual provided all supporting documentation/information required to ‘Hire the Best Fit’.

The client had found his Business Development person.